After 2022, the Buick Encore will disappear from the map
When launched in 2013, the Encore was really a great success for Buick. Not only did its sales “propel” the manufacturer, many new buyers adopted the brand with the 3 shields for the first time. It should also be mentioned that the choice of Maripier Morin as spokesperson for several years allowed Buick to reach a younger and more dynamic clientele.
Unfortunately, even though in 2017 we made some cosmetic changes to the Encore, it remains essentially unchanged since its introduction. With a career spanning almost 10 years, it was time for him to modernize or move on. In fact, everyone thought the arrival of the Encore GX would spell the end for the Encore, but it didn’t. In fact, in Buick’s initial strategy, the GX was to do away with the Encore. However, it quickly became a well-priced alternative, and its sales remained strong. For example, in 2020, Buick sold some 2,165 vehicles in Quebec alone.
However, 2021, the year of COVID-19, hit it much harder with just 597 vehicles. At the same time, sales of the Encore GX have soared from 1,834 units in 2020 to 2,383 in 2021. Clearly, the Encore’s place is shrinking year on year. These are the figures for Quebec, but the trend is the same everywhere in the world. On this same reflection, we allow ourselves to ask a similar question for the Chevrolet Trax which is its technical twin. In its case, sales have also contracted from 452 units in 2020 to 311 in 2021. If GM ceases production of the Encore in South Korea at the Bupyong plant at the end of 2022, we can assume that the same fate could occur for the Chevrolet.
The Buick Encore is currently only offered in Preferred trim. The front-drive version comes in at $27,248 versus $29,248 for the all-wheel-drive model. In any case, we’re talking about a 138-horsepower, 1.4-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder engine with 148 lb-ft of torque. All get a 6-speed automatic gearbox. Although the first few years on the market were not easy when it came to reliability, since 2017 RPM has been recommending the Encore. Following this withdrawal, the Buick lineup in Canada will be limited to just three sport utility vehicles, the Encore GX, Envision and Enclave.
